Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Houthi Strength Grows Despite US-UK Coalition Strikes
NYN | Reports and analyses:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy anticipated continued attacks from Yemen, with many commercial vessels avoiding passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea until 2025 or beyond, suggesting that a ceasefire in Gaza might mitigate future attacks from Yemen.
The American institute stated in an analytical article, as reported and translated by “New Yemen News”, that after months of US-UK coalition strikes, “the Houthis now feel empowered rather than weakened, and they continue to dictate terms under which companies can send ships to and through the region.”
It noted that some commercial firms dealing with Israel ignored Houthi threats and continued operations in the region during the initial months of the American-led coalition intervention with British participation in the Red Sea, pointing out that “ultimately, the Houthis began launching more deadly and complex attacks.”
The institute affirmed the failure of the US coalition to deter attacks by Sana’a government forces, stating that the coalition’s operations had negative outcomes as “Houthi attacks escalated, more ships were targeted, and many shipping companies continued to avoid waterways in the region.”
It highlighted that commercial ships continuing to sail through the Red Sea resorted to unconventional measures to reduce the risk of attack, using their automated identification systems to indicate “no connection to Israel”, while others broadcast messages such as “all crew members are Muslims” or “all crew members are Syrian” or “ship crew is Russian crude oil”, instead of indicating their next port of call.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy discussed how “the Houthis have demonstrated at this stage that they are capable of significantly disrupting maritime traffic between different commercial zones,” with major companies like the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk avoiding the southern Red Sea.
Since late last year, Sana’a government forces have targeted Israeli targets in occupied Palestinian territories and Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, recently extending operations into part of the Indian Ocean. They have announced the start of the fourth phase of escalation against ships “up to the Mediterranean” in support of Palestinians in Gaza. They affirm that their operations against “Israel” will continue, conditioned on “ending aggression and lifting the siege on Gaza” to halt their military operations “in support of Gaza.”
In response, the United States and Britain launched airstrikes on Yemen, prompting Sana’a government forces to announce that their operations would include targeting American and British commercial and military ships in retaliation for what they termed “American-British aggression.”
On February 19, 2024, the European Union announced a military operation named “Aspides,” led by Italy in the Red Sea, while the United States launched Operation “Guardian of Prosperity,” aimed at countering attacks by Sana’a government forces against “Israel”.
